Composite heel construction



Feb.. 22, 1966 M, HAWKlNs ETAL 3,235,980

COMPOSITE HEEL CONSTRUCTION Filed 001;. 21, 1963 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,235,980 COMPOSITE HEEL CONSTRUCTION Merrill L. Hawkins, John D. Riley, and Kenneth J. Scheu,

Hannibal, Mo., assignors to International Shoe Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware Filed (ict. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 317,619 1 Claim. (Cl. 236-36) The present invention relates generally to the shoe art, and more particularly to a novel composite heel construction.

It has long been recognized in the shoe industry and established by millions of shoe wearers that the area of the heel tread surface where the greatest stress and wear are exerted is in substantially the one-third rearmost part of the heel. Few people, if any, place one foot after another in a fiat `position on the ground in walking. Hence, the rear edge of the heel contacts the ground surface first, wear being center, to the right, or to the left, depending upon the particular individual. Many devices have been devised in an effort to overcome this excessive wear in order to permit use of the heel for a longer period of time. In wooden heels, metal devices have been employed, but these are unsatisfactory for many reasons. In rubber heels, various structures have been employed without finding a wholly satisfactory solution to the problem.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel composite heel construction which fulfills the long-felt need existing in the shoe industry, as aforesaid.

In brief, the present novel composite heel construction includes a heel body of predetermined composition and configuration, and a detachable insert mountable on and removable from the heel body. Thus, the heel body and the detachable heel insert may be separately formed and of different composition, as desired. The detachable insert may be made of a plastic polymer, a synthetic polymer, a combination thereof, etc., capable of supplying wear quality in the area of the heel receiving the greatest wear, namely, the rear about one-third area of the bottom of the heel.

Therefore, another object is to provide a novel composite heel construction including a detachable insert of material capable of withstanding wear in the area of greatest stress, that is, at the rear of the heel tread.

Another object is to provide a novel composite heel construction including a detachable insert which can be separately processed from and can be of different material from the heel body portion.

Another object is to provide a novel composite heel construction incorporating a detachable insert which can be readily and easily removed from the main heel body for purposes of replacement when worn or somewhat damaged.

Another object is to provide a novel composite heel construction including a detachable insert which comprises the rear about one-third area of the heel tread and which is formed to resist wear in such area in order to give long life to the heel construction.

Another object is to provide a novel composite heel construction which is formed to include a main heel body and a detachable insert which renders it possible to make the heel body of a relatively inexpensive material and the wear receiving insert of more expensive material to provide a relatively inexpensive heel construction.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE l is a bottom plan view of the heel body of a composite heel construction incorporating the teachings of the present invention;

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FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the heel body shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line 3 3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the detachable insert 0f a composite heel construction which is adapted to be received by the heel body of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of said insert of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional View taken on substantially the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a bottom plan View of a composite heel construction, including the heel body of FIGURE 1 and the detachable insert of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary, longitudinal cross-sectional View taken on substantially the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, 10 indicates generally a composite heel construction made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The composite heel construction 10 includes a heel body 12 and a detachable insert 14.

The illustrated heel body 12 includes a wearing surface portion 16 and an insert receiving surface 18 which are separated by a straight, undercut groove 20. Extending through the surface 18 and into the heel body 12 are three wells 22 of annular cross section, the wall 24 of each aring outwardly from top to bottom, as is clear from FIGURES 1 and 3.

The detachable insert 14 is of the configuration shown and includes a front beveled straight edge 26 of the same degree of slope as the undercut edge forming the groove 20 of the heel body 12. These integral buttons or bosses 28 of complementary cross section with the wells 24 extend upwardly from the insert 14. Within each button 28 is a conical-shaped washer 30 having a central opening 32 disposed at the bottom of a nail well 34, as is clear from FIGURES 6 and 8. Securing nails are driven through the wells 34 and adjacent heel body 12 and through selected other areas of the heel body in the usual manner.

In one illustration of the present invention, the heel body 12 is of rubber, or the like, whereas the detachable insert 14 is of plastic material, specifically urethane. Obviously, the rubber heel body 12 and the detachable insert 14 may be formed and cured, or otherwise processed, separately. It would not be practical to handle such materials as a unit.

The detachable insert 14 may be fitted into position upon fiexing of the heel body 12. Due to the complementary interlocking engagement of the buttons 28 within the respective wells 24 and engagement of the bevel edge 26 with the undercut groove 20, there is no separation of the insert 14 from the heel body 12 in use.

However, when the insert 14 becomes wornA from use, it may be removed from the heel body 12 and a new insert 14 locked in position, as aforesaid. To remove the insert 14, the composite heel 10 is removed from the shoe in order to flex the heel body 12 required in removing the insert 14 and in replacing it with a new one.

It is manifest from the foregoing that the detachable insert 14 is located at the point on the tread surface of the composite heel construction 10 where the greatest stress and wear occur `during use of the shoe to which the composite heel construction 10 is attached. This insures long life of the heel construction 10, since the insert 14 is made from any one of several plastic polymers, synthetic polymers, natural rubbers, combinations of such, or other suitable material capable of developing high Wear quality consistent with the service required.

It is also clear from the foregoing that the detachable insert 14 can be made in varying degrees of hardness to meet service requirements of comfort, resilience and utility. It can be made to resist conventional non-oily Wearing conditions, or to resist Wear in oil, grease, solvents, and the like. In addition, the insert 14 can be made in a variety of colors contrasting or harmonizing with the heel body 12; the tread design thereof can be made to contrast or harmonize with that of the heel body 12. The shape, thickness and position of the insert 14 can be varied to vmeet service requirements of comfort, resilience and utility.

It is apparent that the foregoing comments made in respect to the insert 14 apply independently and as Well to the heel body 12.

It is apparent that there has been provided a composite heel construction which fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given by way of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a composite heel construction comprising a heel body and a removable insert, said insert including the rear portion of the heel tread and comprising a Wear-resistant material, said insert being maintained in position in respect to said heel body by interlocking parts including an undercut groove on one of said heel body and insert and a bevelled edge on the other, said interlocking parts also including spaced Wells formed in one of said heel body and insert and spaced complementary projections on the other, said insert being of wear resistant plastic, said heel body being of resilient material, said Wells being in said heel body and being frusto-conica1 in configuration with the section of least diameter being at the opening thereof, said projections being on the insert and being frusto-conical in configuration complementary to said wells, said Wells yielding to receive the projections and said other interlocking part of said heel body yielding to receive the other interlocking part of said insert.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 634,998 10/ 1899 Rumsey 36-36 1,158,573 11/1915 Sinclair et al. 36-36 2,360,936 10/ 1944 Cintron 36-36 3,041,744 7/ 1962 Brauner 36-34 3,055,125 9/1962 Ronci 36-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 857,016 12/ 1960 Great Britain.

550,841 11/1956 Italy.

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner.

0 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Examiner. 

